This invention relates to a process for spreading a moving web of flat textile material during a treatment.
Web-form textile materials are frequently subjected to a wet treatment (for example dyeing or rinsing) in strand form. The disadvantage of this lies in the creases arising out of the strand-like form which spoil the appearance of the finished fabric.
Because of this, processes and apparatus have already been developed for the wet-treatment of a moving web of textile material in spread-open or expanded form. However, many web-form textiles, particularly elastic web-form textiles with little dimensional stability, have a tendency, when subjected to a wet treatment of the type in question in spread-open form, to form creases again or even to converge into a strand-like form. In order to counteract this tendency, it is known in the batch dyeing of carpets in dye vats that the web of fabric circulating endlessly in the vat can be guided over spreading rollers. However, processes and apparatus of this type involve considerable outlay for equipment and, in addition, are attended by the disadvantage of poor adaptability in operation.
Finally, in other known processes for spreading a moving web of textile material during a wet treatment (cf. German Auslegeschrifts Nos. 25 20 748 and 24 30 135), the web of textile material which is guided through a liquid bath by means of upper and lower continuously circulating, perforated conveyor belts is spread open by delivering to the upper and lower wide side of the web of fabric streams of liquid which are directed from the middle to the edges of the fabric web.